


splinters of my soul

by kindly



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-12
Updated: 2017-07-12
Packaged: 2018-12-01 02:43:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11476947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kindly/pseuds/kindly
Summary: "T-that's my… my father.." it's choked out and broken and Liam feels his heart drop in his chest. No one had told her?





	splinters of my soul

**Author's Note:**

> so i'm emotional, okay? and the first time playing ME:A, i was struck down during that first planet with feelings. and then again in that pathfinder hall, so this is what came out of that.   
> kinda character study? i guess. told in liam's pov.
> 
> enjoy c:

The first time that Sara sees the memorial in Pathfinder hall she breaks down crying on the spot. Like full on sobbing, snot running from your nose and choking on tears as Cora and Liam try to figure out what's wrong.

 

"T-that's my… my father.." it's choked out and broken and Liam feels his heart drop in his chest. No one had told her?

 

Sara's sat on the floor, where she had collapsed crying just moments before and Liam sits next to her, crossing his legs under him and reaching a hand out to touch the girls shoulder.

 

Cause that's what she is. Sara is just a girl, he thinks. She's just barely in her twenties and she's making these big decisions, who gets woken, what they're doing with resources, where they're going to colonize and hoping that people don't die anymore.

 

It's enough to make Liam go insane and he's not even in charge.

 

As soon as his hand makes contact with her sweater, she tenses for a moment before latching herself onto him. Her thin arms wrap around his neck and she's almost crawled into his lap as he's knocked back slightly. She's still sobbing but now it's into his sweater and he knows that she's probably getting tears and snot in the fabric. It's gross but Liam says nothing as he wraps his arms around the girl.

 

Cora looks at them, uncomfortable with the situation. She catches Liam's eye before giving a nod and quietly walking away to speak with Tann.

 

Coward, Liam thinks.

 

"Hey, hey. It's okay," he's speaking softly as Sara keeps crying. Keeps sobbing and choking on her words. It breaks his heart. He looks around and spots a sofa, knowing Sara would hate being picked up on normal circumstances, he takes the chance while she's not thinking about it.

 

He lifts her deadweight with an arm under her legs and one behind her back. He grunts with the effort but quickly walks to the couch with the girl. He sits down with her in his lap and he's thinking he's made a mistake as she quiets down now.

 

It becomes that weird quiet after someone cries in front of you and Liam doesn't know how to deal with it. Sure, he's a crisis specialist but they don't really train you on how to comfort your commander or Pathfinder. That was surely not in the brochure.

 

"Liam..?" The voice is soft and torn, and the man has no idea how to respond so he gives a sort of noise like a grunt. "I just… I miss them…"

 

Of course, Liam thinks. Of course it's them. Scott's in that damn coma still and Sara has been doing this alone.

 

"Hey, Scott's not gone, ya know?" He smiles even though her face is still in the crook of his neck. He thinks she's embarrassed because her face will be red and splotchy when she looks up. "Plus ya got a lotta stories for him. It'll be like he was there, yeah?" He can feel her nod slightly and he tries not to move much as her hair tickles just under his chin.

 

"… thanks, Liam…" it's a sigh when she speaks, like everything has been drained from her system. "Uhm… please, don't tell, uhm… don't tell people I broke down okay? I'm supposed to be the… the Pathfinder…"

 

And just like that, she pulls herself from Liam's lap. Stands and wipes her face with the sleeves of her sweater before he can see the shift of Sara into Pathfinder. She shakes her head a bit before turning away from Liam, walking up the slope to Tann's work space.

 

"Ah, Pathfinder, there you are-"

 

Liam figures that he'll offer to be a shoulder to her. Something to cry or hit or something before she breaks again. God forbid he actually tells her that he'd be that for her… Liam just plans on… being there when she 'needs' him again. Like a convenient pillow or cushion.

 

With a sigh, he pushes himself up from the couch and looks to his Pathfinder. She catches his glance and he can see the small, shy smile on her face before Tann takes her attention away to missing Arks and new intel on them.

 

He quietly leaves the Pathfinder Hall, the 'swish' of the doors and the 'pat-patta-pat' of his feet being the only noise he makes on the way out. There was work to be done now and no time to rest.

 

Not yet, at least.


End file.
